The Fairest One of All
by ghostgirl19
Summary: Marinette gets a summer job working at Disneyland. Everything goes smoothly until a certain cat catches her mending her costume...


**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or anything related to Disney.**

 **A/N: Though you have to be 18 to work in Disney, characters will be 17 in this. And I know there are some inconsistances concerning the Disney park and the work environment, but they're not jarring enough to distract you from the story. At least, I hope not :)**

 **I found this last night, half finished. I originally wrote it about a month and a half ago but forgot about it. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Fairest One of All**

Honestly, Marinette had no idea how she came to be a cast member during the summer at Disneyland Paris, dressing up almost every other day as Snow White and entertaining guests.

She and Alya went to the park one day right before the end of junior year. While the girls walked around, seeing several princesses posing for pictures with families, Alya had suddenly turned to Marinette and said:

"You know, I could see you being a princess. You love kids and you have the optimism thing down. Every time I see you you're smiling about something. I think you'd be perfect!"

However, the accused was quick to argue that, no, she was nothing like a princess. Princesses were beautiful, perfect, without any flaws. While Marinette was cheerful most of the time, even she had her breaking points.

Besides, how could she be a princess when she had her duty as Ladybug to fulfill?

But she needed the money. She didn't want to have to work in the bakery and depend on her parents for a paycheck, and though she didn't think it would work out, the idea of being a Disney Princess sounded kind of fun. She did love kids, as Alya had said. Plus she was generally a happy, optimistic person. Maybe she could play the part of a Princess.

As for her duty as Ladybug, she could always sneak away and transform as she normally did. She would just have to be extra careful.

The process to become a Princess was a long and tedious one. She had to audition first, learning some random dance that she was positive she'd never do again. Afterwards, she had to be interviewed by the people in charge in order for them to determine if she would be a good fit.

They were stunned by Marinette's soft and fair beauty, taking note of her creamy skin and adorable freckles across her nose. But what enchanted them the most were her eyes. They were almost doe-like, sparkling blue and holding love and warmth in their depths. Any child who looked into a pair of eyes like hers would instantly feel calmer and more attached to the Princess.

After a final test of reciting lines and acting out the character picked out for her, Marinette was given the job.

She was going to be Princess Snow White.

The casting directors normally made girls wear the appropriate color contacts for their Princesses; Snow White had brown eyes while Marinette had blue. However, as said before, they were so in love with her eyes that they let her get away without wearing contacts. They didn't want to mask such a lovely color.

And so, Marinette was taught Snow White's mannerisms, her signature, and lines that she would say. For example,

"Snow White," one director had said, "where's Grumpy?"

"Oh," Marinette answered, bubbly and smiling brightly, "he's in the mines with the other dwarfs! I hope he comes back soon, I have a Gooseberry pie waiting for him!"

Two weeks later, she officially had the position. She was given a dress and taught to apply the make-up required for the role, although with the girl being already so beautiful, she was only made to wear mascara and red lipstick.

Being a Princess was the most amazing experience she had, aside from being Ladybug. And like Ladybug, she had to keep it a secret. She told her parents and Alya she got a job at Disneyland Paris, but that was all she was allowed to say. In order to keep the illusion of magic, she wasn't allowed to breathe a word of what her job was.

Since Alya had planted the seed of getting a job there into her head, she kept asking her best friend which Princess she was. Marinette, already well-practiced with keeping secrets, held on to her refusal to reveal anything.

When she had disclosed to her fellow coworkers her skills for sewing, her bosses asked her if she would like to pick up a little extra money in fixing the costumes. She agreed, and so every so often she was sent home with a few dresses.

However, tonight was different. The back of her heel had caught on the dress's skirt today and a small part of it ripped. Hence why she was now in front of her sewing machine at 11 p.m., fixing up the tear as best she could.

So focused on her work, she didn't register the sound of claws tapping on a window.

So intently staring at the yellow fabric, she didn't pick up on the booted footsteps coming up behind her.

"What's that?"

Okay. _That_ , she did hear.

"Gah!" She shrieked, dress forgotten and falling to the floor as she hastily stood from her chair. "You stupid cat, what are you doing here?!"

Chat Noir smirked at her mini freak-out. "Jeez, you act as if this is my _fur_ st visit. What's with the claws?"

For the past month, for some inexplicable reason, the alley cat had been visiting the designer every other night. She asked him why, yet he only said it was because she was his favorite civilian, which she didn't believe.

They've only spoken in these forms a few times when faced with akumas and Marinette had yet to transform. Despite that, he still claimed she was his favorite and still referred to her as 'Princess'.

Oh, the irony. Imagine if he found ou-

She screeched again as she grabbed the fallen dress and hurriedly hid it behind her back, although the dress's skirts were so poofy that Chat could clearly see it.

"This is nothing, nothing at all!" Marinette smiled sheepishly, trying to don an innocent expression. "Nothing you need to see here."

The blond ignored the claim and raised an eyebrow, craning his head to peer more closely to the costume behind her back. Only the girl kept trying to inch away from his prying eyes, which again, was an unsuccessful attempt at keeping the dress from view.

"Is that a Snow White dress?" he questioned, frowning slightly in confusion.

"Uh, yes!" she replied, voice rising an octave. "This-this is just my...uh...Halloween costume! Yeah, I'm going to be Snow White this year! Heh heh..."

Despite the extremely convincing excuse, he didn't seem to buy it.

"It's June," he deadpanned.

"Never too early to start planning!"

"Marinette..."

The blackette sighed dejectedly. "Okay, fine. It's not a Halloween costume."

She didn't elaborate, leading him to question her again in curiosity.

"So, what's it for?" he asked slowly.

"It's," she paused to bite her lip. Could she trust Chat Noir with this?

She looked into his bright green cat-eyes, and knew immediately that yes, she could. He was her best friend aside from Alya, and her superhero partner. She trusted him with her life. Not to mention he also had a secret identity to keep up, so he must be well-versed in keeping secrets.

"It's my job costume."

The cat tilted his head to the side as the pieces gradually clicked together inside his head. "Your job? But what job requires you to dress up as Snow White? Unless you're working at... _oh_. Are you?"

Marinette nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Yep. I'm working at Disneyland."

When he didn't say anything, she chanced a peek up at his eyes. To her increasing worry, a grin was slowly becoming larger and larger on his face.

Oh no.

"Well," he purred, "I always knew you were the fairest one of all."

The ravenette smacked a hand to her forehead. "That was horrible," she groaned.

"Tell me, are you afraid of eating apples now?"

" _No_ , Chat."

"Make any friends with animals, lately?"

"Chat-"

"Feel like bursting out into song of how your prince will someday come?"

"Chat, I swear to God-"

"Ooh, how about cleaning my house? No, wait, isn't that Cindy's main thing?"

Marinette clenched her jaw and released a growl through her teeth. "Will you stop teasing me now?"

"But I can't," he proclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands together. "This is just too perfect! My princess is now an official Princess! And I'm not surprised they picked you for Snow White, since you _are_ the fairest and loveliest girl in all of Paris. What's it like working there?"

The way he just casually and assuredly complimented her, as if her beauty was a well-known fact, regrettably made her cheeks darken and her heart beat a bit quicker.

In the back of her mind, she wondered why he even saw all these good things in her. He loved Ladybug, last time she checked, with that time being after last night's patrol when he offered to give her a good night kiss, to which she responded with the usual 'finger on nose' trick and flung away on her yo-yo.

So his sudden visits and flirting with her in her civilian form didn't do anything less than confuse her.

Marinette sat down on her chaise while he took over her computer chair. She laid down the dress next to her before answering his question.

"It's a lot of fun. I love being able to make kids happy and have them feel like they're meeting the real Snow White. It's...magical, in a way."

He nodded, smiling as he looked at her with that fond expression on his face that she'd seen quite a few times as Ladybug and once before as Marinette.

"That's so kind of you, Princess. You really are Snow White."

She bit her lower lip and glanced away, hoping her cheeks weren't pink from the soft-spoken compliment.

"Just don't trust any old ladies," he finished with a chuckle, effectively bringing her out of her shy and flattered state. "Never know when one of them might be jealous of your looks and try to poison you."

"Ha. Ha." She rolled her eyes with a scoff, with it soon turning into a gasp of shock upon remembering her second most important secret.

"Chat, you can't tell anyone about this!"

The playful feline placed his hands behind his head as he regarded her with a teasing grin. "Hm, I don't know. It's going to be hard to not brag about my princess finally being recognized as the fairest in all the land."

"I'm serious," she hissed, heart thumping in panic. Would he really brag about her job? "No one can know I'm Snow White, I'll get fired!"

He sobered immediately, quirking up an eyebrow in concern. "Why?"

The young designer sighed. "It's to keep the illusion of the magic. When I'm there, Marinette Dupain-Cheng doesn't exist. I _am_ Snow White. Snow White is as real as you are...er, well, your alter ego," she corrected, realizing 'Chat Noir' technically doesn't exist either.

The feline frowned. "That sucks."

"So you promise to keep this a secret?"

He smiled and held up his right hand while placing his left over his heart. "I will never tell a soul, cat's honor."

She breathed out in relief. "Thanks."

"No _purr_ oblem. What kind of a knight gets his princess in trouble? Ooh, that reminds me, does this mean you have a Prince Charming?" He smirked and waggled his brows for effect.

Marinette immediately blushed at the picture her mind painted of her coworker. Don't get her wrong, she still had a crush on Adrien, but this man could even give _him_ a run for his money when it came to being a gentleman.

Always opening doors for her, paying for her lunches when they happened to eat together, being as 'princely' as possible when interacting with guests and herself in public. Sometimes he even kissed her hand, in and out of costume.

But Adrien would always be the one to occupy her heart. Even if her coworker sometimes made her heart skip a beat, or Chat-

No. Nope. Not even going there.

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed at the far-off expression on her face. Was he seriously going to have to compete with a Disney Prince? First Theo, then Nathanael, and now a random guy in tights. He should just ask Marinette out already, that way their relationship will be secure and she'll be officially taken.

Meaning no guys in tights but one in skin-tight leather.

He cleared his throat, suddenly it became a few degrees hotter in the room.

"Princess? There's something that I-"

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed instead, looking at the clock hanging on her wall that read 1:00 a.m. "It's one in the morning! I need to get up early for tomorrow." She got off the chaise and relaid the dress on top, smoothing it out and inspecting it for any other damage.

Chat blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in his companion, not to mention the panic of not being able to finish his question. He finally had the courage, God knows when he'd have it again. "Um, Princess? I really need to ask you somethi-"

"Can't this wait, Chaton?" Marinette interrupted, placing her feet in her slippers without looking at him. "I still need to brush my teeth and I have to get up at six."

The superhero sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to get a clear, well-thought out answer tonight. "Yeah, it can wait. It's not important."

Who knows? Maybe this was a good thing. It gave him more time to think of a possible speech. He had a rough idea so far...

 _I've been in love with you for three years, ever since you first saved the day from Stoneheart all that time ago. Finding out you were Marinette made me like you even more, hence why I did all these balcony visits. I know we're young, but I know I love you, and I hope that maybe one day you can feel the same for me. Will you be my girlfriend? Oh yeah, and I'm really Adrien Agreste. Yeah, you know, the same guy you're terrified of if you having trouble speaking around him is any indication._

Hm. Maybe it was better to wait for another time.

After he said good-bye with a proper kiss on the hand, he left the same way he came in, shutting the balcony hatch behind him and sprinting off into the warm, night air. As he used his baton to get home quicker, he ran through a mental checklist of tomorrow's plans.

Tomorrow was a Tuesday.

Okay, Tuesday. Let's see...

Morning: Breakfast

Afternoon: Nothing

Evening: Nothing

Night: Nothing

Huh?

He mentally ran it over again and beamed by the end. A day off, he had a day off! God knows how long it's been since he's had a day off.

A manic smirk broke out on his face.

And he knew just how to spend that day off.

...

"Thanks for coming with me, Nino."

"Dude, are you serious? It's Disneyland! It's right up there with the music shops."

Adrien laughed as the two friends walked through the lines to get into the park. Disneyland was expensive to go to, but luckily price wasn't an issue for Paris's top model. When their fingerprints were registered on the tickets, they strolled inside with eager grins. But while Nino's was more childlike, Adrien's was far more devilish.

When his best friend gave him a side-eye look of suspicion, Adrien quickly wiped the expression off his face.

"I can't wait for one of those Mickey pretzels," he remarked, figuring that would be a valid-enough excuse for the strange smirk he had worn.

"Same, and some ice cream. Ice cream here is the best," Nino added, smiling in excitement.

Adrien was more than happy he decided to bring the DJ along with him. He was his first friend in school, and always stuck by his side even when his busy schedule would often put a dent in plans. He was the most loyal and trusting friend Adrien had ever had, and so he wanted to repay that kindness whenever he could.

After they got some snacks, the blond kept looking around, intent of finding the fair princess with lips red as a rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow. She shouldn't be too hard to miss, her beauty could be seen from miles away.

"Uh, dude? You done staring at the castle? I know it's nice, but..."

Adrien blinked and shook his head to clear the fantasy he was just starting to formulate in his mind. Where he last left off he had the fair princess in his arms, bending her over so he was hovering above her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled coyly, silently beckoning him closer. With a roguish smirk he brought his head down closer, so close he could feel her breath against his lips and-

"Just take a picture of it if you like it so much."

Jeez he really needed to get a grip. He smiled and shook his head, chuckling and commenting that he was just appreciating the beauty and color scheme of the castle and all that. Things that a fashion empire heir should know, right?

Nino shrugged it off with an added 'whatever' and the two continued on their way.

"Hey, let's go to Frontierland!" Nino said, pointing in the direction of the section of the park.

Adrien knew immediately Marinette-ahem- _Snow White_ wouldn't be there. She'd have a better chance of being in-

"Fantasyland! Let's go there instead," he offered brightly. It was hard to act casual about it, as if he didn't have a special reason for going there.

"Fantasyland?" Nino repeated, pursing his lips in distaste. "That's the princess shit!"

Adrien opened his mouth to try to convince him to surrender, but closed it as a sudden idea popped up. He had to distract Nino somehow if he wanted his plan to come along smoothly, perhaps this was just what he needed.

"How about we make a deal?" The blond suggested. "You go to Frontierland and I'll go to Fantasyland. We'll meet in front of the castle in two hours. How's that?"

"But we came here together," Nino retorted, frowning. He didn't understand why his best friend would want to go off alone when they had planned a 'bros day out' in Disneyland. Come to think of it, he thought it would be best if the guys in their class didn't know the specifics of the 'bros day out'. They'd die laughing if they knew it took place at Disneyland.

"I know, but this way we'll both get to go to the parks we want. After that we'll go anywhere else together. Sound good?"

Nino nodded, albeit with a slight frown. "Whatever you say, man. See you in two hours."

Adrien waited until his friend's form disappeared in the crowd before speed walking to the park of his intentions. He wanted to run there, but it would hardly do any good for the Gabriel brand if his only son was seen running and weaving in between people at a Disney park. And so, he was resigned to a slower pace.

He looked about wildly, trying to find a hint of long, yellow skirt but with no luck. After walking around for a couple more minutes, he came across a building that was the answer to his prayers.

Princess Pavilion, the sign said. It looked like a miniature castle, complete with the big, wooden doors and the little tower that castles normally had. There was even a medieval-looking window on it.

He noticed a sign posted just by the waiting line (that stretched to the entrance, by the way) labeling which princesses were there.

The edges of the model's lips curled up into a grin as he spied Snow White as among the three princesses there.

It dropped into a frown when he saw all the people waiting in line to get in. By the time he'd make it to the front, Marinette would probably be done for the day, or on break. He couldn't risk it.

As discreetly as humanely possible (he decided not to include the casual whistle) he walked over towards the side of the attraction. What he did next he probably wouldn't share with anyone in the near future.

He hopped the fence and ducked down into the bushes. A few people gave the spot he previously occupied strange looks, but otherwise didn't comment and continued on their way.

As Adrien crept in the bushes towards the back of the building, he heard a peculiar snicker in his inner shirt pocket. In seconds a black blur flew out.

"Plagg, get back in here!" he hissed, stopping to open his overshirt for the kwami to slip back inside.

"And miss this stunt? No way! Do you know how creepy you look right now?" Plagg cackled. "Seriously, if I had kids, I'd keep them away from you."

"Would you just mind your own business?" Adrien shot back, annoyed at not only the kwami's tormenting, but because his back was beginning to hurt from being hunched over.

"You are my business as my Chosen," Plagg shot back, looking incredibly smug about it.

"And as your Chosen I want you to get back in my pocket," he growled, his grip on his shirt tightening. Plagg rolled his eyes before diving back in.

"I expect more cheese for this!" Plagg's muffled voice came through, prompting the boy to roll his eyes. Adrien was the one bending over back to see Marinette and Plagg wanted a payment? Please.

He almost cried out in joy when he reached the back of the mini castle. Straightening, he jumped over the railing and bolted to the back door, where it was fortunately void of any workers lurking. Adrien slipped inside and quietly shut the door behind him.

When he turned around, he was greeted with the sight of cast members running around, holding several different costumes in their grasps. Females littered around the back area as well, some snatching a dress from a hook, some looking for a wig, and others complaining about makeup. It reminded Adrien of the backstage before a runway show.

"Finally, you are here!" A man in an employee uniform gasped, stopping to breathe heavily. "You were supposed to appear a half hour ago!"

Adrien blinked, utterly confused. "I-uh-huh?"

The man rolled his eyes. "I hope that eloquence doesn't show itself outside this room, _Your Highness_. Come on, we must get you changed!"

"Ch-changed?" he stuttered, more lost than ever. "Changed for what?"

"Is this your first day, _The Prince_?" He shook his head. " _Mon Dieu._ Come, let's find your costume."

Before Adrien could protest, the man grabbed his arm and dragged him over to a rack of brightly colored costumes. The man took a few items before literally throwing them into the model's face.

"Go get changed in a dressing room, any one. Then go meet Snow White," the cast member directed before turning on his heel and fussing over an Aurora whose wig wasn't curled just right.

Adrien looked down at the bundle of clothing in his arms, to the dressing rooms lining the wall, back to the clothes again. He couldn't believe it. That man actually thought he was a cast member!

He frequently teased Marinette as Chat Noir about his looks, of how he was the most handsome man in Paris (to which she'd grin and roll her eyes), but he didn't think he'd be taken for a prince at first sight.

But he couldn't help but be glad of how this turned out. He didn't really have much of a plan beyond this point, maybe for once his luck was turning.

He ran into the first open dressing room he saw, quickly locking the door behind him. Plagg didn't waste any time to fly out of his pocket and face the frazzled teen.

"Are you crazy?! You have no idea how to be a prince!" the little god snapped.

Adrien shrugged as he took off the white overshirt, following suit with the black t-shirt underneath. "How hard can it be? I smile, be nice to kids, and act like I'm in love with Snow White." He grinned. "Which won't be all that hard."

The kwami gagged in disgust. "Why do I always get the lovesick ones?" he grumbled. "Whatever. Do your thing out there, I'll stay in here where I won't constantly be in danger of barfing."

Adrien rolled his eyes as he lifted the princely shirt over his head, chuckling a bit at the overly-puffed sleeves. Next was a blue overlay over the shirt, and then the semi-tight, gray pants. He pulled on the tan riding boots and tied on the red cape for last.

He turned to inspect himself in the mirror, flashing the reflection a charming smile as he tilted his head and held out a crooked arm in front of himself. He took ahold of his cape, bringing it up as he's seen done in animated pictures of the princes.

"How do I look?" he asked Plagg, not removing his clover eyes from the glass.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Plagg sneered, snickering.

Adrien turned to look back at the small bench and discovered his blue hat. He curiously picked it up, turning the large thing about in his hands. His lips pursed when he saw a large, white feather protruding out of it.

 _Shit._

 **"ACHOO!"**

The kwami was convinced that even though he was immortal, he almost died laughing.

"Oh, man! This is just priceless! Now do you see where your scheming gets you?"

"Shut up, Plagg," Adrien grumbled, sniffling. "Why a feather...?" he moaned in agony. Everything would've been perfect if it wasn't for the damned feather!

"Look," the god spoke, after having sufficiently calmed down. "Just take off the feather and go without it."

"But, then the costume would be incomplete-"

"Alright, then, go out there a sneezing mess. I've heard that's what really attracts the princesses these days."

Adrien frowned but removed the feather, after sneezing one more time, of course. He left it on the bench, making sure to hide it within his clothes, and left the dressing room. As he passed by the multiple princesses, not one didn't stop to admire the handsome prince.

"Damn, it's a shame he's Snow's," a Cinderella complained.

"Yeah, I'd really make that prince come someday," a Belle added, eyeing the blond with a predatory grin.

Adrien tried his hardest not to blush in embarrassment as he walked past, intent on just finding the entrance to see Snow White.

"Ah, _Your Highness_ , there you are!" the same man from before spoke from behind him. Adrien turned and smiled.

"Yeah, here I am. Well, I better go on to see Snow White-"

"Wait a minute," the man interrupted, effectively halting the young man's footsteps. His eyes squinted as he observed the costume, only widening when they reached his hat. Adrien tried not to panic under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Where's your feather in your hat?"

"Oh! My feather? It didn't come with one," he lied straight through his teeth. "But what's a feather, anyway? You already said I'm late, I better get out there."

The cast member, knowing that the prince was right, let him go without another word.

A thought occurred to Adrien as he walked down the long, narrow hallway of white-painted walls on his way to the main showroom floor.

What if the girl on the other side of the door wasn't his princess?

...

Marinette, or rather, Snow White smiled as she bent down to the little girl who barely looked four years old. She was dressed in her likeness, signature blue and yellow dress complete with a red bow in her brown curls.

"I really like your dress, young princess!" she cooed, hoping to dispel any shyness the little girl might've had, if keeping quiet was any indication. "You have excellent taste!"

"Thank you," she mumbled quietly in such a light voice that Marinette almost melted from the cuteness.

"What is your name?" she asked, ever the kind princess she was supposed to be known to be.

"Sarah," she murmured, a bit louder this time.

"That's a beautiful name, Sarah," Marinette gushed, teeth revealed in a large, sweet smile. "Would you like to take a picture together?"

"Announcing his Royal Highness, The Prince!" A woman attendant announced loudly, alerting the whole facility. Parents ooh'd and children giddily bounced on their toes, for it wasn't everyday that a princess would meet and greet with her prince.

Marinette idly thought Disney should really give a name to that poor guy as she stood to properly greet her prince. However, she was mainly wondering on why he was so late. He was supposed to appear when she did, alas she was alone for this whole time while Cinderella and Ariel had their princes with them.

When children asked about her significant other, she was forced to reply with different things such as, "oh, I think he's out on his horse" or "he's back at the castle, taking care of princely duties."

When Marinette turned with the large smile she usually offered Jacque, her main prince, she almost passed out right then and there. For what was _Adrien_ freaking _Agreste_ , the love of her life, doing here?!

Adrien walked without breaking his stride to her, bent down to one knee, and took her hand in his. She froze at the contact and ceased breathing when he pressed his warm, soft lips to her knuckles.

"I'm sorry I'm late, my lady," he apologized. "I had some matters at the castle to attend to." He let go of her hand and turned to the little girl.

"Hello, Your Highness. What is your name?"

Marinette couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. It had to be a dream, there was no other explanation. Because she knew for a fact that Adrien didn't work at Disneyland. He was a model, not a prince. So what in the world was he doing here, and...being great with kids?!

Yes, she immediately learned that Adrien was in fact great with kids. He had taken the little girl's hand and planted a kiss on it, similar to how he'd done with her. The girl blushed and giggled, leaving him wearing a satisfied smile.

"We should take a royal picture together. What do you say?" he asked. The girl smiled widely and hurriedly nodded.

Marinette bent down to be at the little girl's level to pose for the picture. She tried not to let her eyes dart over to Adrien during the snaps of the photos being taken. She still couldn't believe that he was here, in Disneyland, dressed as _her_ prince!

A few more pictures later and the little girl was off, waving happily to the two royals.

"Before our next guest, we'd like some pictures of our sweetheart couple," an attendant told the pair, smiling as though everything was normal and not like she just nearly put Snow White into cardiac arrest.

Her breath hitched when he offered her his hand.

"Shall we, Princess?" He smiled warmly and invitingly, just how a prince should. But there was something else twinkling in those green orbs she couldn't put her finger on.

"Y-Yes, my prince!" she tittered sweetly, trying her best to keep up the Snow White act and not become a pile of goo on the floor.

They stood pressed closely against one another, their joined hands the only barrier between their bodies. The pair smiled at the camera, looking every bit the happy, fairy-tale couple.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered through her smile. "You don't work here."

"They realized they needed a real prince, instead of that phony you had," he replied just as quietly, with the camerawoman none the wiser of the secret conversation going on.

A real prince? And was it just Marinette, or did Adrien sound bitter at the end of his sentence?

"You two are so adorable," the attendant gushed, clasping her hands together. Little girls giggled while the little boys either gagged or otherwise looked uncomfortable.

"She's the adorable one here, not me," Adrien replied smoothly, grinning cheekily. Marinette's mouth dropped in an 'o' and her already pink cheeks heightened into a bright shade of red.

Did he just...? No, he was just acting like The Prince. He wasn't flirting or complimenting _Marinette_ , he was talking to her as Snow White.

The ones who heard him cooed and aww'ed, smiling madly. Marinette tried not to let their reaction impact her, instead she just giggled quietly and acted all embarrassed like how the princess she was portraying would. If she didn't have an act to keep up, she was certain she'd be passed out on the floor.

"Next guest!" the attendant called, and out came another little girl who looked about 5-years-old. She made a beeline to Snow White, clutching at her skirt and hugging her legs.

"Hello to you, too!" Marinette chirped, slipping back into the persona. She bent down to hug the girl closely to her. "What is your name, young princess?"

"Leane," she replied happily. In her tiny hands she held an autograph book, and when she pulled out of the hug she eagerly held it up in hopes of the Princess signing it.

Marinette pressed a hand to her heart and gasped. "Do you want me to sign your book?"

Leane bit her lower lip to contain her grin as she nodded, her blonde pigtails bouncing in a similar way to her feet.

"Why, I'd be honored!"

She took the book and opened it, then grabbed the pen and clicked the top.

Meanwhile Adrien took to interacting with the child, giving her princely smiles and bowing to her. He took her hand and gave it a kiss, leaving the girl a blushing mess as she turned her head to try to hide it.

Adrien's eyes darted up to make sure his partner was busy. Seeing that she was, he grinned and tugged on the girl's hand to pull her close, then whispered something into her ear. He pulled away and the pair shared a nod of agreement.

Marinette took the liberty of signing both of their names in the book. She knew Adrien most likely didn't know the signature, and had seen the way Jacque had done it enough times to memorize the loops and swirls of the name.

When she was done she gave the book to him. She hoped he had the common sense to pretend to sign his name.

Adrien didn't disappoint, as he took the pen and glided it over the page, imitating the foreign signature before closing the book and handing it back over to Leane.

Leane turned so that she was facing Snow White again. "You're so pretty!"

She blinked, looking surprised, until her features softened and she smiled. "Why, thank you! I must say that you are very beautiful, yourself."

"I love your dress, I wish I had one like it."

"Thank you very much. I'm sure if you go to the boutique, they'll have a dress all ready for you!"

"I like it as well," Adrien mused, bringing a hand to his chin as he observed her. Marinette tried not to blush under his heavy gaze.

"Although," he paused to smirk. "I think she looks better in spots."

What? Was-did he-?

She was reduced to frozen astonishment at his words. He-he didn't know she was Ladybug, right? It had to be a coincidence, right? It just had to be. There was no way he could know that she was Ladybug.

But the sly wink he sent her made her go back into internal panic mode.

Did he know? Shit, he probably did. But how? And why was he-flirting?-with her like this? And most importantly, why was he here?!

Leane either didn't notice the Princess's attitude shift from happy to tense in mere seconds, or didn't care. "What was it like kissing the Prince?" she inquired innocently.

Marinette was brought out of her thoughts by the girl's question. She breathed a mental sigh of relief at the distraction.

"I was asleep, so I wouldn't really know."

"Maybe you should kiss the Prince now, then you can know what it's like!"

Wait. What?!

Marinette, breaking character, whipped her head towards Adrien in a flustered shock. The blond blinked and acted surprised as well...hm. A little _too w_ ell.

But before she could think anything of it Adrien spoke up. "It would be an honor to kiss the fairest one of all. Shall we, my princess?"

He...he wanted to? No, that was impossible, Adrien didn't want to kiss her. That was his character talking, and his character would always be up for a kiss from his princess.

The ravenette gulped and turned to face him.

And Snow White would always be up for a kiss from her prince.

He took a step closer to her and placed his hands on her hips, his hold light enough so that she barely felt them there. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly placed her hands on his chest.

Her blue eyes found his searing green. He was staring so intently at her that she found it hard to think of anything else. Even though her secret identity was probably just exposed, Adrien was here pretending to be a coworker and flirting with her, he called her princess, and my lady, and-

Wait.

No. No freaking way.

Her face must've betrayed her emotions, for Adrien leaned in closer and smirked, an expression she'd only seen when he was partially hidden behind a black mask.

"Finally figured it out, _Purr_ incess?"

Her jaw dropped and he took the opportunity to plant his lips on hers. The people waiting in line gasped and cooed, most of them reached for their phones to save the iconic moment.

There were also a chorus of 'eww's' in the vicinity, exclaimed by Paris's youngest.

Remembering they were in a public place, not to mention Disneyland, Adrien pulled back.

Meanwhile, Marinette could still barely process what was happening.

Adrien was Chat Noir.

Chat Noir was Adrien.

Adrien, as Chat Noir, had been visiting her nightly for the past month.

For the past month, it was Adrien who had been flirting with her.

He knew she was Ladybug.

He dressed up as a Disney Prince and just kissed her.

Adrien Agreste just kissed her, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

He _liked_ her.

Adrien was quick to catch the fainting beauty. "Mar-ah-Snow White?!"

People gasped, worried for the poor girl. Her skin had gone past snowy and was more deathly.

"Um, it seems that Snow White must've had a bad apple this morning! She will be taking a short break!" The attendant voiced, rushing over to the fallen princess. She offered help, but the blond shrugged her off and picked up Marinette bridal-style.

"Get some water," he demanded instead before taking her out of the room.

There was probably a much smoother way that could've gone down.

...

Marinette groaned as her eyes slowly opened. What happened? She was supposed to be out there greeting children, but then Adrien came and-

Adrien. Reveal. Kiss.

She bolted upright, alerting Adrien himself who hopped out of his chair in the little office to bend down next to her on the couch she laid on. Her wig was long gone, which left her hair free and her heeled shoes were nowhere to be seen either.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" he asked, worry lacing his voice. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that-"

"You're right, you shouldn't have!" she snapped, something rare for her to do. But she was so stressed with all the events that happened, not to mention her fainting episode while on the job, that she couldn't help but let her temper spark. "Why-what-how did you-"

"I think I can answer some questions," he replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then get started," she deadpanned, crossing her arms.

"I found out who you were last month. It was after an akuma attack, and I was on my way back to school to detransform. I went to the back of the school, where nobody could see me, and-well-I guess you decided that was a good place to change back too." He shrugged and a corner of his mouth quirked up in an awkward grin.

"I didn't think you liked me very much, since you hardly speak a few words to me, so I tried going after you as Chat Noir. It was stupid, I know, but-"

"You're right, it was stupid," she interrupted.

Adrien blinked and stopped to stare at her. He didn't expect her to agree with him so harshly like that.

She bent down so she was eye-level with him, nothing betraying what she was feeling.

"It was stupid because I had a crush on you, Adrien. That was why I hardly talked to you. I was too shy."

Now it was her turn to be nervous. She just put herself out in the open, and now she was either going to be cruelly rejected or accepted. Then again, she didn't the first option was very plausible because of what he had said, but then why was her heart racing?

"You had a crush on me?" he repeated, eyes wide.

Marinette bit her lip and nodded, refusing to meet his eyes any longer. "Yes."

A few seconds ticked by, until the silence was broken by a laugh. His laugh, the same as she'd heard when he gave her his umbrella all that time ago.

She could handle rejection, but laughter? Not so much. She should've known better than to get her hopes up.

"I can't believe we've been dancing around each other like this!" Adrien let out, gasping for air. "All this time we've liked each other; we could've been dating three years ago!"

Dating? Dating, like, boyfriend-girlfriend dating?

Adrien stopped and cleared his throat, gazing nervously back at her. "Uh, I mean, that is, if you want to, of course?"

He was asking her out. Adrien was asking her out.

"Woah, woah! Breathe!" the blonde commanded, taking her by the shoulders to make sure she didn't fall over again.

"Y-You're asking me out?" she stammered in a whisper of disbelief. Was she dreaming?

"Yeah?" he answered unsurely, trying to gauge what reaction she'd have.

Marinette was positive that this was the best day of her life. She should've revealed her identity to him years ago, they really could've been dating for three years, instead of awkwardly beginning to after she fainted while dressed as Snow White. Speaking of which...

"Is that why you dressed up as a prince?"

Adrien's eyes flickered to the ground. "Um, kind of..."

The blackette's eyebrows drew down. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I thought you liked whoever it was that normally wears this, and so I-"

He was cut off by the sound of light, airy giggles. Marinette pressed her lips together to muffle the sound. He pretended to work here because he was jealous? It was kind of funny, but cute too.

She cupped his cheeks with both her hands.

"Let me show you who I like," she purred seductively.

...

Two hours later found a grumbling DJ by the castle that his best friend told him to wait by. He had a blast at the park of his choosing, but made sure to be on time to their meeting place. However, Adrien was 10 minutes late.

As his head craned around the area, trying once more to locate him, he finally noticed a tall man with sunshine hair walking to him almost in a daze.

Nino ran to him, only stopping when he noticed the state his friend was in.

His hair was mussed up, his lips had smudges of red lipstick on them, and his cheeks housed kiss marks of the same shade. His clothes were ruffled and as Nino looked closer he noticed a strange mark on the model's neck just partially hidden by his shirt collar...was that a hickey?!

"Dude!" Nino gaped, unable to process what his innocent friend had been up to. "What did-who did-?"

Adrien only smirked devilishly, taking out a tissue from his back pocket to wipe off the smooch marks.

"Is that why you wanted to go to Fantasyland?" Nino asked. As the shock of it wore off, he sported a devious grin. "Who was she?"

"The fairest one of all," Adrien replied with a wink.


End file.
